The Scottish Land Fund supports rural and urban communities to become more resilient and sustainable through the ownership and management of land and land assets.

Funded by the Scottish Government and delivered in partnership by the Big Lottery Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, it offers grants of up to £1 million to help communities take ownership of the land and buildings that matter to them, as well as practical support to develop their aspirations into viable projects.

The success rate for Scottish Land Fund stage one application forms was 92 per cent based on decisions made between 1 September 2016 and 31 October 2016. In this period was received 26 stage one application form. Our blog has a breakdown of our success rates

Successful applicants will clearly demonstrate that their project will help their local community to:

Achieve more sustainable economic, environmental and/or social development through ownership of land and buildings

Have a stronger role in and control over their own development

Own well managed, financially sustainable land and buildings.

We will prioritise applications that can demonstrate significant positive impact for the community as a whole. Applicants will have the opportunity to test out and develop their ideas with support from a Scottish Land Fund Adviser.

To apply, contact the Big Lottery Fund Scotland to discuss your idea at advicescotland@biglotteryfund.org.uk or on 0300 123 7110. If your project is eligible you will be assigned a Scottish Land Fund Adviser from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, who will help you develop your idea and get ready to submit your application.

You can apply for grants between £10,000 and £1 million to fund the purchase of land or land assets. You can also request some revenue funding to help with the cost of developing your proposal or initial running costs of your project after acquisition.